The US Army also gifted captured armour to allied nations in recognition of their efforts during the war in Europe. One such recipient was Argentina, whose Ejército Argentino received five German tanks which went into immediate service. These served Argentina well although only one of the five, a Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf.F (also known as PzKpfw II or Panzer II) numbered 35, survived the decades to remain in service when the nation went to war with Britain in 1982.
The invasion of the Falkland Islands – long claimed by Argentina but held by the UK – took place on 1/2 April 1982 and saw marines, frogmen and amphibious commandos land on East Falkland to take the capital Port Stanley under the codename Operacion Rosario. Panzer 35 was expected to play a key part in the aftermath and accordingly was airlifted to the airport at Port Stanley (now Puerto Argentino) aboard Lockheed C-130 Hercules TC-69, the first Argentine aircraft to land in the renamed Islas Malvinas after the invasion.
The crew of Panzer 35 – driver Voluntario Segundo (Volunteer Second Class) Chico Tonto, loader Cabo Primero (First Corporal) Viejo Carnicero and commander/gunner Capitán (Captain) Gerente de Banco – were tasked with patrolling Puerto Argentino and, in particular, defending Government House. Large stores of ammunition for the tank’s main 2cm gun, the coaxial MG34 and the pintle-mounted 50cal machinegun were transported from the mainland and taken by truck to a depot in the town for their use. They were advised by their commanders that, due to the nature of the ground surface on the islands, they should remain on sealed roads at all times.
However the young Tonto, whose previous military vehicle experience had been limited to driving a Camión de la Basura Mk.IV around the Comando Sanitario y de Salud del Ejército base where he was formerly stationed, turned off Airport Road too early. As a result the 9.5 ton tank only made it a few dozen metres before becoming bogged down in the peaty ground in the early hours. Capitán Banco made some very heated disparaging remarks to the young driver, these being heard by most around the airport due to Banco’s distinct, loud voice.
Determined to make the most out of a bad situation – and recorded as repeatedly telling his young comrade “¡No entre en pánico!” – Carnicero suggested to Banco they could use the accident to their advantage by making the immovable tank into a fixed weapons emplacement. After relaying Carnicero’s proposal to General de Brigada Mario Menéndez, the new Argentine Governor of the islands and commander of the Guarnición Militar Malvinas, Banco ordered his men to dig in. For the next month the watched their comrades fortify the town and airport, commanded to maintain their post and remain vigilant.
On the night of May 1 the crew were launched into the war proper, woken by the Black Buck bombing raid carried out against the airport by an RAF Vulcan bomber. One of the big delta’s 21 bombs landed mere yards away from the tank, causing blast damage to its hull and more than a little temporary deafness to the trio sleeping within. Further damage was done later that morning as Harriers also struck the airport. Panzer 35’s attempts to shoot down the attacking jump-jets only brought attention to them, resulting in rockets being fired at their position. Soon Tonto had been dispatched to dig up even more peat and soil in an effort to disguise and protect the partially-sunken vehicle.
Sporadic attacks by British aircraft continued against AFB Puerto Argentino, the crew of Panzer 35 always making the most of any opportunity to return fire. Eventually their stored ammunition was brought to them, but in a cruel twist of fate the cargo truck, too, became bogged down and was spectacularly destroyed in a British airstrike after only a handful of shells and ammo crates had been transferred to Panzer 35.
A few days later Menéndez surrendered and the Islas Malvinas became the Falkland Islands once more, and Banco and his crew were captured by the British troops. But Banco had a surprise for the British: convinced the British would take the tank as a war prize after their gallant actions in defence of the airport, he had Carnicero booby-trap it with a time-bomb. Triggered a few hours after their capture, it rendered Panzer 35 completely unusable. When told of the booby-trap by a visibly proud Banco the CO of the British unit reportedly said "We thought you were just in a bunker, we've never seen anything about a tank".
The wreckage of Panzer 35 remains in the peaty ground near Port Stanley Airport, a silent testament to its dogged crew. Its actions became the subject of folklore back home and it has been fondly remembered as “El valiente Panzer de la Guerra de las Malvinas” – “The valiant Panzer of the Falklands War”.
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Many thanks to pigflyer, who included a Matchbox 1/76 Panzer II kit in a recent goodies box to me and was the basis for this build. The camo grass is Citadel Mordheim Turf.
